Cycle 2- Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop
This cycle will be based on the action plan from cycle 1. Through my research and reflection I decided to move forward and launch the writing workshop in my 2nd grade classroom based on my research reading about the writing workshop. 


Research:
       I began cycle 1 continuing my research of the writer's workshop and designing lessons that introduce my students to the workshop model. I used Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi's book Writing Workshop The Essential Guide. Like I mentioned in the cycle 1, I wanted my workshop to have all the necessary components for my student's writing.  

(p. 11 Fletcher, Ralph J., and JoAnn Portalupi. Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001)

I could only block out 45 minutes a day for writing.  It could not be at the same time everyday because I wanted to make sure that all my students had the same amount of time for writing.   Therefore I changed the time so that students who get pulled out do not miss writing. I wanted an hour but my schedule would not allow for more than 45 minutes. 

Once I had my schedule set up I designed lessons that were based on my reading from The Art of Teaching Writing, by Lucy Calkins. Chapter 12 titled "Don't Be Afraid to Teach Tools to Help Us create Mini-Lessons" explains that the mini-lesson can do many different things for my writers.   It can guide them in the day's writing, add to the atmosphere by starting with a Read Aloud, or to demonstrate a new technique or strategy.  The mini-lesson should occur in the first part of the workshop.  I decided to write mini-lessons based on my readings from Lucy Calkins and Ralph Fletcher. Lucy goes on to explain that mini-lessons can be summed up in a single word: Context.  "In mini-lessons, we teach into our students intentions."  (p. 193 Calkins, Lucy McCormick. The Art of Teaching Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1996.) Mini-lesson should be used to teach to the whole class.  Lucy reminds us that this is also a time to use our own writing to share a strategy by using the elmo (she said overhead projector, but hopefully we all have more sophisticated technology than that!). During the mini-lessons students can try out what is being taught before moving on to their own writing for the day too.  All my reading in the Calkin’s book corresponded to my earlier reading in cycle 1 about when I researched the writing workshop. I decided to model the written format of my mini-lessons on the teacher's college writer's workshop mini-lesson format.

I then wrote my first 5 lessons that were based on this model to introduce my students to the workshop.

Lesson 1 launched the writer's workshop. Many of my students had been in the 1st grade at my school where the teachers used a writing workshop framework in their own way to teach writing. Each teacher did it a bit differently so I wanted to do a couple of lessons to get my students on the same page for my expectations for writer's workshop. There is an expectation in the district that all teachers use the writing workshop framework to teach writing. However, there has been no specific school wide professional learning, so each teacher approaches the workshop differently. If a teacher has been in the district for a while then they have learned a different philosophy (LitLife) about the teaching of writing then is currently used and that philosophy was best taught using the workshop framework. I had one student who had not been in the first grade in my school so I also wanted to make sure that she understood what it was all about. The chimes were a great idea!




    
Lesson 2 was difficult for the students, as they had to think critically about themselves and their friends as workers, listeners and writers.  2^nd graders have a difficult time criticizing their friends.  I thought that doing it secretly would make them think honestly about themselves and who they can work with in order to use their time purposefully, and use each other for thinking about their writing. My students were able to make good choices on their cards.  Many girls picked the new girl since they thought that they would be more focused during rewriting time. Many boys choice girls, who they obviously felt were good workers and listeners.  Some students continued to choice their friends and did not think critically about the purpose of this activity and about their work as writer’s for the year.

For lesson 3 the students were more engaged that I thought they would be.  I think it was because of the Byrd Baylor book, which was new. They had many comments, such as “She sees many things in the desert!” “I never thought of that as a celebration!”  When they went off to write on their ideas page, everyone was writing what they thought celebrations were.   There was discussion and conversation about “that might be a celebration for you, but it isn’t for me.” The students were actively engaged in filling out their idea sheet. Even though when I wrote the lesson I thought it might be too much sitting and active involvement, but they stayed focus on the book and the activity.

Reflection:

           My students were engaged and eager to begin Writer's Workshop.  Lesson 1 went off without a hitch.  The students learned that when I rang my chimes it would signal the start of Writer's Workshop.  

Chimes for beginning writing workshop

We practiced this twice.  Twice because the first time they weren't sure if people who had special seating in the meeting area sat there are not, so we decided that special spots were special at all times.  They were great about writing ideas to chart on the What Writer's do and the Student Responsibilities charts.  

When they went off to work they not only received the brainstorming page, but I gave them their writing folder.  I made their writing folders green for go!  Some students were not sure what to put on the brainstorming sheet, so during the writing time I helped them think of topics.  I used my chart to model the different topics that they could write about.  When they went off to write some students need me to help them think of writing topics.  

Chart of ideas to write about

My two students' idea pages

Student Writing Folder

                                                  

Inside of writing folder

Students writing at their desks during writing workshop

 While doing this some students tried to interrupt me so I reminded them that they can't interrupt me meeting with other students.  During the share they shared out ideas from their brainstorming lessons.  Lesson 2-4 were smooth and I feel that my students were engaged and enjoyed the all parts of the mini-lessons, especially after they were able to pick their writing partners.  

Chart made during partnership lesson

They had great ideas to post on all the charts.    The writing partnership was a great idea.  I wrote their names on a little pad that I had, laminated the names and made a chart so that we could change partnerships.  I used their index card ideas.  I couldn't use everyone's ideas because there was a lot of overlap.  They took the idea of writing with someone they didn't know well very seriously.  I explained to them that the partnerships would not remain the same throughout the year, but would change and I would try to honor what they said on the cards.

Action:

Since my students were able to work and participate in the first 5 lessons I don't think that I really need anymore lessons introducing the workshop but that I will move onto introducing the notebook in the workshop.  

1. I will begin cycle 3 researching the writing notebook and how to use it in the writing workshop, especially for early elementary students.

2. I will design lessons so that the students will know how to use the notebook. 

3. I will include lessons that teach grammar skills from the journeys program.

Analysis and Reflection:

I am very pleased with how the writing workshop is moving along.  I feel it was a very successful launch of writing. My class is very attentive and eager during the workshop.  They are sharing during the sharing part of the lesson and writing during the writing portion.  The writing portion during the launch is limited to ideas on the idea sheet, but some of them have written ideas on the back!  During the active involvement component of the workshop the students are storytelling, which is what they are going to learn are the stories that they can write in their notebooks. The writing workshop approach is a good model for 2nd graders because they can't sit for long periods of time listening and listening to the teacher talking. I use this model for reading time. This model is student centered, allowing students to listen, move around and do some work and then come back and share.  It also goes with my districts’ idea of the Learner Active Technology Infused Classroom. I have a resource table where I put all extra papers that I use for all teaching.  This is also the place where students get extra pencils, crayons, and markers, anything that they may need during the day.  I think that moving along to the notebook is a great idea because they are ready for more writing through the sharing of stories in the introduction to the workshop.  They really enjoyed sharing their stories after listening to the books, especially the new book; I'm in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor.